November 2005 | Vol. 23, No. 11

SVU Board Director Profile

William Harkrider, MD FACS RVT

General & Vascular Surgeon and Medical Director
Noninvasive Vascular Lab, Inc.
New Iberia, LA

(Editor's Note: Dr. Harkrider is the elected physician representative on the SVU Board of Directors through Dec. 2006.)

How long have you been in the vascular technology profession?

I have been involved in the vascular technology profession since 1981.

What made you decide to enter vascular technology as a career?

Noninvasive technology is an integral part of vascular surgery.

What do you like best about your current position?

I am able to correlate the noninvasive studies with the angiographic findings as well as the surgical specimen. This also allows me to follow the resultant change after a surgical or endovascular intervention.

When did you join SVU?

I joined SVU, then called SNIVT, in 1984.

Have you served on an SVU Committee, if so, which one(s) and when?

Yes, over the years I have served on the SVU Carrier Medical Director (CMD) Committee as Chair and on the Guidelines Committee, Products Committee, and Awards Committee.

Why did you first serve on the SVU Board of Directors?

To help give the Society’s Board a physician’s perspective on various issues.

What do you feel are the biggest issues facing the vascular profession today?

The increasing number of vascular patients with a decreasing number and aging population of vascular ultrasound technologists. Who is going to care for us in the future?

How can SVU better serve its members in the future?

SVU should continue to serve its members with educational programs, as well as continue to provide leadership on various government relations issues affecting the vascular ultrasound profession.

Any other comments you would like to add about your membership in SVU?

I have been truly amazed by the enormous amount of work and time consumption required by the Board members, the Executive Committee and the Executive Director. It is only through their knowledge, experience and dedication that we have the Society that we have. The required knowledge that is necessary for these positions comes from experience and participation. We should all strive to be an active member of the Society by becoming a committee member, committee chair, educational presenter and ultimately a Board Director. We all have something to offer to our membership.

What do you do for fun and relaxation when not working?

Relaxation is not being on call and working in my yard or garden. Fun is catching billfish or tuna in the blue water of the Gulf of Mexico, hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains, and hunting moose this year in Alaska.